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With so many customer service outsourcing companies out there, finding the best match for your needs can be challenging. You know you need external support to answer queries and resolve issues on your behalf so you can focus on your core operations, but you need to figure out which customer service outsourcing company satisfies your needs the best. In this article, I’ll help you make this choice easier by sharing my insights on the best options for outsourced customer support to help you find the best outsourcing partner for you. 

What are Customer Service Outsourcing Companies?

Customer service outsourcing companies are third-party service providers that specialize in customer service operations across multiple channels (phone, email, and chat). They'll tackle your customer's issues on your behalf, providing seamless service to your customers while your internal staff can focus on bigger-picture tasks.

Using a customer service outsourcing company offers numerous benefits, including cost savings compared to in-house support teams, the ability to handle high call volumes or offer 24-hour customer service, and the flexibility to adapt to your changing business needs. The exact details of your outsourcing arrangement would be specified in a service level agreement (SLA).

Overviews of the 10 Best Customer Service Outsourcing Companies

Here’s a brief description of each customer service outsourcing company that explains the key services each service provider offers.

Best nearshore CX for English proficiency and Spanish fluency

  • Pricing Upon request

Headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Latin America, RPM BPO provides nearshore customer service outsourcing and other business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions, such as sales and back-office support. The 3 main advantages of RPM BPO are: high-quality service standards, high English proficiency, and cultural alignment with the US and Canada. This is great for companies who work in North America or have customers there as their team can interact naturally in the same time zone with your people.

RPM BPO focuses on in-depth training programs and leverages the latest technology tools to ensure maximum efficiency and quality assurance. This means they are great for both simple customer service needs as well as customer interactions that involve complex processes or product knowledge.

Best for 24/7 global customer support in 55 languages

  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

SupportYourApp is a customer service outsourcing company with a particular focus on tech startups. The company operates in over seven locations worldwide, providing 24/7 omnichannel customer service across 55 languages. This makes them an ideal choice for tech startups requiring around-the-clock, multilingual support.

SupportYourApp provides multi-channel support, including phone, email, live chat, and eCommerce and Amazon seller support. Plus, they also offer technical support and customer retention services, helping businesses deliver top-notch customer service without having to manage it all in-house. They'll also handle all the hiring, onboarding, and training required to get their support consultants up-to-speed on your business, which is a significant advantage for startups looking to scale quickly without the burden of building an in-house customer service team.

One standout feature in their service offering is their commitment to data security. SupportYourApp has ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and PCI/DSS certifications and is compliant with all GDPR regulations. They were also the recipient of a Customer Centricity World Series Award in 2020-2023 for their customer-centric approach.

Another important detail to note is the speed and thorough approach they take to customer onboarding. After signing up with their service, you can expect to have your kickoff meeting within 1-2 days. Following that, you'll meet your outsourced customer service reps and they'll undergo their required training within the next 2 weeks, leading to your official service launch and initial invoice within 30 days of your sign-up date.

Best solution for E-commerce and Tech companies based in USA and Europe

  • $990/month w/ 40 hrs/week agent
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Rating: 5/5

WOW24-7 is a customer services outsourcing company that provides 24/7 (incl. after hours, weekends & holidays) customer and tech support to US and European-based SaaS, IoT, Retail, and Travel companies—and they offer coverage in 10+ languages. They handle everything from answering customer queries, managing complaints, to providing technical support. It's like having a full-fledged customer service department without the overheads.

It helps Customer & Technical Support Executives forget about CSRs & Team Leads hiring, onboarding, training & inconsistent CSAT. What sets WOW24-7 apart from other customer service outsourcing companies is their commitment to providing personalized service. They take the time to understand your business processes, software, data security standards, and, most importantly, your customers and then tailor their services accordingly. This means that your customers get the kind of service they expect, which in turn leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Best for customer retention through quality service

  • From $10/hour

PartnerHero provides customer support teams that are fully aligned with your brand. Each team is custom-built to match the client’s culture and business needs. Service is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with onshore, nearshore, and offshore options available.

Agents provide support by SMS, email, phone, and chat. Technical specialists are available to help with matters such as regression and snapshot testing, refactor tests, and black-box testing. Other services such as acceptance and localization testing can also be arranged.

PartnerHero costs from $10/hour.

Best for customer service that matches your brand voice

  • From $999/month for 8 hours a day
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Rating: 4.4/5

Influx is a customer service operation that expands organically as your business scales. Issues are resolved quickly across multiple channels, including email, chat support, social media, and voice. Trained customer service professionals can be dedicated to managing specific channels as required.

The company provides onshore and offshore agent options, both pre-trained for customer interaction. Companies can start with the basic service, then expand into multichannel, proactive onboarding and insights.

Three levels of customer service management ensure that nothing slips through the cracks.

Influx costs from $999/month for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week customer service support for your business.

Best for a broad range of services including back-office support

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $185/month
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Rating: 5/5

HelpSquad BPO is a customer service outsourcing company that provides a variety of services, including live chat outsourcing, virtual assistants, virtual receptionists, and business process outsourcing services. Services are offered 24/7, ensuring timely responses to customer requests. The global team of support agents are carefully selected and trained to be exceptional at providing helpful and contextual support on behalf of your brand.

The team uses AI to organize and index data, allowing their agents to quickly respond to customer questions. They have developed their own AI-driven omnichannel contact center software, providing both the services and technology needed to manage your customer support needs. Specific features include customizable web chat, two-way SMS texting, Facebook Messenger integration, intelligent chatbots, lead capture and notifications, intelligent overflow, and contact center analytics.

The company also provides back-office support services, including virtual assistants, order processing, research, data entry, and accounting support. So beyond providing great customer service to your clientele, they can also manage behind-the-scenes services to support building a better customer experience.

Paid plans start from $185 per month, and a 14-day free trial is available.

Best for a freelance customer service solution

  • Pricing upon request

Upwork is a platform that connects businesses with freelance talent. It can be a great place to hire customer service and technical support assistants directly without paying the overheads associated with larger outsourcing companies. However, you can also hire entire teams from customer support firms.

To get started, you can post your requirements, detailing exactly what you are looking for. Then you can evaluate the applications and shortlist your preferred candidates.

Upwork includes a full range of features, such as chat scheduling, feedback sharing, global payments, and needs analysis.

Upwork pricing depends on the independent freelancer rates.

Best for professionals trained in customer psychology

  • From $7.95/hour

Integra takes a science-based approach to customer care. Agents are trained in customer psychology to increase levels of customer satisfaction and turn customers into brand ambassadors.The company offers support by phone, email, and live chat.

In addition, qualified and certified technical experts are on hand to assist with more challenging customer queries and issues. Integra handles both pre-sales and post-sales support, together with order taking, shipping tracking, upgrades, and cancellations.

Any customer service agent can also arrange refunds, schedule appointments, and conduct surveys.

Integra cots from $7.95/hour.

Best for multi-continent operations

  • Pricing upon request

Skycom is an experience call center provider based in Florida, USA. Operations across Latin America and the Philippines allow the company to provide truly multi-continental assistance. Skycom staff may be based in a conventional call center or work from home.

This flexibility allows the company to provide optimal service and exceed customer expectations for each client.The company boasts PCI, SOC 1-2, and HIPAA certifications, allowing it to work with the broadest possible range of organizations. It also uses AI to enhance its customer service operations.

Skycom offers free consulting, plus a fast ramp-up with no licensing or setup fees.

Skycom offers customized pricing upon request.

Best for support in multiple languages

  • Pricing upon request

Pure Moderation is a global business process outsourcing company providing solutions customized to clients’ specific needs. With multiple call centers available, the company can scale up or down according to changing requirements.

As a result, it can work with companies ranging from startups to global organizations. Pure Moderation offers customized pricing upon request.

The Best Customer Service Outsourcing Companies Comparison Chart

This comparison chart summarizes basic details about each of my top customer service outsourcing solutions side-by-side to help you find the best service provider for your budget and business needs.

Tools Price
RPM BPO Pricing Upon request
SupportYourApp Pricing upon request
WOW24-7 $990/month w/ 40 hrs/week agent
PartnerHero From $10/hour
Influx From $999/month for 8 hours a day
HelpSquad BPO From $185/month
Upwork Pricing upon request
Integra From $7.95/hour
Skycom Pricing upon request
Pure Moderation Pricing upon request
Preview Image - 
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	Compare Software Specs Side by Side</h2>

Compare Software Specs Side by Side

Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.

Compare Software

Other Outsourcing Solutions

Here are a few more worthwhile outsourcing partners that didn’t make it into the top 10 list:

  1. Wing

    Best for individual customer service assistants

  2. MicroSourcing

    Best for Philippines-based customer service teams

  3. Back Office Betties

    Microsourcing provides English-speaking agents at an affordable cost

  4. LEX Reception

    Outsource customer service options for legal firms

  5. Ascensos

    World-leading independent customer management

  6. Sensée

    Work-from-home contact center specialists

  7. Cloudstaff

    Great option for building an inbound call center team

Selection Criteria For Customer Service Outsourcing Companies

Are you curious about my process for selecting the best customer service outsourcing companies? I'm happy to explain my selection process.

I started my process off by creating a long list of the best customer support companies based on positive user ratings. Next, I dug into the detailed services each provider offered in more detail, using the key criteria below as a guide.  

Here's a summary of the main details I assessed, to satisfy your curiosity:

Core Capabilities

For a customer service provider to make it onto this list, they needed to demonstrate the following capabilities:

  • A proven track record with numerous years of experience delivering high-quality customer service support
  • A range of customer support services including online support agents, phone-based customer service, email support, and tech support
  • A range of cost-effective support services that are feasible for businesses of different sizes

Other Key Services & Features

In addition to the core capabilities above, here are some other details I assessed when making my final recommendations for the best customer service outsourcing companies:

  • Round-the-clock support: 24-hour operations to ensure that customers get answers when they need them no matter what time zones they're enquiring from.
  • Fast response times: Rapid replies to inquiries to ensure maximum customer satisfaction.
  • Omnichannel support: Communicating with customers via social media messaging, email, SMS, inbound and outbound calls, and offering chat support.
  • Trained staff: Expert customer support personnel trained in the art of dealing with people.
  • Specialized technology: Leveraging dedicated customer service software to deliver the best service.
  • Multilingual capabilities: The ability to provide service in the customer’s preferred language.
  • Flexibility: The capacity to scale resources according to demand at busy times.
  • Security: High-level protection of customer and client company data.
  • Compliance: Adherence to local and international regulations concerning employment and service delivery.
  • Reporting: Keeping clients up-to-date with results relating to key performance indicators and service level agreement metrics.

Pricing

The cost of these customer service companies can vary. Some offer hourly rates while others have monthly rates based on the number of agents provided. Others have custom pricing based on your specific business needs. I’ve listed pricing information in my overviews and comparison chart.

From automation to AI, there are certainly some ways in which customer service outsourcing companies are changing. These are important factors to keep in mind when evaluating a service provider—not just in terms of their current offerings and approach, but also how their services will evolve moving forward. Here are a few key industry growth trends and forecasts from Mordor Intelligence that I kept top of mind while researching these providers:

  • The contact center outsourcing market size is expected to grow from USD 100.93 billion (in 2023) to USD 132.92 billion by 2028.
  • More and more contact center outsourcing providers are using artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to offer specialized solutions.
  • Data security is top of mind, as outsourcing means transferring customer data to a third-party provider. My take on this: This is especially important to consider for the financial industry, healthcare, and other sectors that deal with sensitive information. European organizations may opt for nearshore providers to ensure GDPR compliance.

FAQ: Common Questions About Outsourcing Customer Service

Still have some questions about customer support outsourcing? Here are answers to a few frequently asked questions on the topic:

Why should you outsource customer service?

In today’s world, people have high expectations regarding customer service. But for a growing business, delivering a high level of in-house support can be challenging. To provide quick and high-quality customer service, without massively increasing your overhead as your company expands, you need a dedicated team of customer service representatives. Thankfully, customer service outsourcing companies are a practical and affordable solution that can help you maintain a consistent and personalized customer experience.

The customer outsourcing industry is also growing in popularity. In fact, it’s expected to grow from USD 100.93 billion to USD 132.92 billion from 2023 to 2028. These companies take the problem off your hands, managing increased volumes of customer interaction and taking good care of your customers while you take care of your core business. Plus, many companies offer flexible staffing and resource allocation that can help maintain quality service levels at significantly less cost than expanding your in-house team.

In-house customer service team vs. outsourcing: Which is better?

The decision of whether to outsource customer service is one that every organization needs to make for themselves. There are pros and cons to both outsourced and in-house customer service agents. Let’s take a look:

Some of the benefits of outsourcing your customer service include:

  • Cost savings: A customer service agency or outsourced contact center is usually less expensive compared to building an in-house team.
  • Availability: Many customer service outsourcing companies offer round-the-clock service, whereas a local team may have more restricted hours.
  • Localization: An outsourced team may be able to provide customer service in multiple languages, or specialized support based on location.

On the flip side, here are a few reasons why you might opt for an in-house team:

  • Context: In-house employees have a better overall business context about your products, services, and company values, making for on-brand customer interactions.
  • Customer loyalty: You’ll be able to assign specific customer service agents to specific customers, building better relationships and improving customer retention.
  • Technical support: If your business, products, or services are highly technical or specialized, it might be worth it to train a technical support team.

For example, you might consider a tech startup with a highly specialized software product. They might find outsourcing their customer service cost-effective initially, but as their product complexity increases, the need for detailed, product-specific knowledge might make an in-house team more suitable to ensure accurate technical support and maintain brand consistency. It is important to regularly assess your customer service needs and the complexity of your products or services. If your business evolves to require more specialized support, it may be time to transition from outsourced to in-house customer service management to maintain quality and expertise in customer interactions.

What are the risks of customer service outsourcing?

Opting for an outsourced customer service solution such as a call center service comes with certain risks. But the truth is, any business process outsourcing (BPO) comes with potential risks. For example, a retail company outsourcing its customer service to a call center may find that the agents, while efficient, lack detailed knowledge of their specific product range, leading to less personalized customer care.

With that in mind, here are a few things to consider before you opt for outsourcing:

  • Customer care may be less personalized and specialized.
  • You’ll have less control over quality assurance and training.
  • KPIs like employee retention could be affected.

Overall, when considering outsourcing, try to establish clear communication channels and regularly scheduled meetings with the service provider to discuss quality assurance, training procedures, and adherence to and measurement of KPIs. This helps maintain a level of control and ensures the outsourced services align with your company’s standards and goals.

Why outsource customer service?

Remember, just as there are just possible risks, outsourcing also comes with potential rewards. There are certain situations where providing customer service through an outsourcing solution is actually a great thing for your company.

For example, you might be facing challenges in creating a great customer experience through a staffing shortage. Or, your customer support team might be struggling to keep up with multiple communication channels or an influx of requests.

Either of these scenarios has the potential to create a negative impact on retention, satisfaction, and customer loyalty. And in those cases, opting to outsource can be the best way to deliver top customer service.

Another factor that’s worth considering is your tech stack. Customer service teams tend to rely on multiple apps and SaaS tools, including CRM software, help desk software, customer onboarding software, virtual assistants, AI chatbots, and more!

The cost of these tools adds up quickly, and setting up (or building) integrations to keep data and records up-to-date across all these sources becomes cumbersome, quickly. By outsourcing your customer service team, you can lighten up your tech stack and eliminate the headaches that come with maintaining it.

Try regularly evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of your internal customer service processes and technology stack. If you find that the cost and complexity of maintaining these systems are outweighing the benefits, consider outsourcing as a strategic move to streamline operations and improve customer service quality.

How can you measure the ROI of outsourcing customer services?

The simple way to measure the return on investment (ROI) of outsourcing customer services is to compare the cost of the outsourcing against the net gain or value. The net gain will take into account factors like customer satisfaction, customer retention, increased sales, and reduced in-house staffing costs. Once you’ve decided how you’ll quantify the value you get from outsourcing your customer services, you can then divide that number by the cost of outsourcing.

To ensure accuracy in your ROI calculation, it is important to regularly evaluate customer service metrics and gather data on customer satisfaction, retention rates, and sales figures both before and after outsourcing. This allows for a clear comparison and more informed decision-making regarding the cost-effectiveness of your outsourcing strategy.

Need a more concrete example? Imagine a company spends $50,000 annually on outsourcing their customer service. As a result, they see an increase in sales worth $100,000, improve customer retention by 10%, and save $20,000 in in-house staffing costs. The net gain from these factors can be calculated and compared to the outsourcing cost to determine the ROI. If the net gain is over $50,000 annually, they have a positive ROI. If the net gain is under $50,000 annually, their ROI is negative, and they will likely need to rethink their current arrangement.

Customer service vs. customer support: What’s the difference?

This list covers customer service outsourcing companies, but some of them also provide customer support services. So what’s the difference between customer service and customer support, exactly? Let’s break it down:

  • Customer service is providing general information and assistance to your broad customer base. It’s about answering FAQs, updating customer information, and receiving customer feedback.
  • Customer support is providing in-depth assistance in regards to specific products or services. It’s about troubleshooting errors and issues, and providing product-specific information.

For example, e-commerce retailers tend to have customer service teams. Customers generally purchase individual products that require limited technical assistance to use. On the other hand, SaaS startups tend to have customer support teams. Their products often require technical setup assistance and other specialized, product-specific support.

Depending on your industry, business model, and the types of products and services you provide, you may require either a customer service team or a customer support team. You might also require both. Be sure to conduct a thorough analysis of your customer interactions to determine whether the majority of queries are general inquiries or product-specific technical issues. This will help you decide whether to prioritize customer service or customer support when choosing an outsourcing company.

What about your customer feedback loop?

As an HR professional, it’s crucial to understand the impact of outsourcing customer service on your customer feedback loop. Outsourcing can reshape this loop in significant ways. Here are some key points—both benefits and drawbacks—to consider:

  • Enhanced Expertise and Efficiency: Outsourcing companies specialize in customer service, bringing expertise and streamlined processes, which often leads to more efficient handling of customer feedback.
  • Access to Advanced Tools and Analytics: These companies usually have access to sophisticated tools for capturing and analyzing customer feedback, providing you with deeper insights.
  • Possible Disconnect with Brand Values: There’s a risk of the outsourced team not being fully aligned with your company’s culture and values, potentially affecting the way feedback is interpreted and acted upon.

For example, a business that outsources its customer service might see a noticeable improvement in response times to customer feedback, but may also face challenges in ensuring the outsourced team fully understands the nuances of their products. It is therefore important to carefully select an outsourcing partner who not only demonstrates efficiency but also shows a commitment to understanding your brand and values.

Note: many customer service providers will include feedback collection in their services. But if not, be sure to have other methods set up for gathering customer insights.

What's Next?

With customer service and outsourcing on your mind, here are some links to our other top-notch resources written by industry experts on this topic:

Lastly, if you'd like to receive more articles like this one, I recommend signing up for our weekly CX Lead newsletter. We’re always adding new content to help you give your customers a great experience, so check back often to see what’s new!